Happy Birthday To Me.

Tomorrow is my twenty-third birthday.  In celebration of said event (and because I can't think of anything better to do) I've decided to write a terribly cliche post... 23 random facts about myself, my life, and recent events of note.

1. I have a freckle on the bottom of my foot.  In fact, I've gotten more freckes in the past year than I think I ever have before.  It's slightly unnerving.  At this rate, in 20 years I'll just be one giant freckle.  Sad day.  Hopefully I can get married before that happens, because if I don't... 
2. Last week I interviewed for a personal banker position at the bank.  It's come down to me versus a brand new teller that works at the location the position is at (Loveland).  I have six months experience on her, but my time commitment to bank has been questioned (they want multiple years) and she's already been halfway trained.  So... I find out early next week.  (fingers crossed!)
3. I'm going to Utah for General Conference next weekend.  A bunch of friends are caravanning (real word?) there on Friday night, mooching beds for the weekend, and trying to grab tickets in Temple Square.  (On that note, if anyone else wants to come, I have room in my car).  Hang out with Grandma.  Hopefully see Ashley and Austin and other friends if I make it down to Provo.  Binge on the gospel feast that is General Conference.   Oh yeah.
4. Putting aside my pending PB job application, I was just certified as a Teller II at the bank.  What does that mean exactly?  I can handle more cash without supervisor approval.  Not that big of a deal.  But the raise is definitely appreciated!
5. I'm in a "new" ward.  It's been quite the experience being thrust into a group where I know maybe ten out of a hundred people.  I've found good friends in people I saw as just acquaintences before, and have had to get out of my comfort zone and meet some new people.  The switch was conveniently timed, too.  However... (awkward transition to next point)  
6. I'm moving in with my new-ish friend Meghan in a few weeks.  She's a riot (I love that phrase, by the way).  We've bonded over boys and hard times and dancing and countless other things.  We haven't found a place yet, but it'll be in the boundaries of the Prospect ward, so she can keep her calling as Relief Society president.  And she'll be with me on the caravan adventure (see point #3)!
7. The movie Megamind is ridiculous.  Yes, it's a children's movie about a big-headed blue alien bad guy who invents a good guy to fight with after he kills off his arch-nemisis and gets bored.  But the well-written banter and have-to-watch-it-a-few-times-to-get-everything humor offset its predictibility and cuteness.  Watching it with friends made it enjoyable, too.
8. I reached my 7:30 minute mile goal last weekend.  I may have wanted to die by the end, but I did it.  I don't know how much faster I can get, my short legs can hardly keep up as it is!
9. I'm not addicted to many things, but the fall premieres of the Office and Glee and a few other shows I'm too embarrassed to admit may have made me happy this week.  Not having cable is usually not a bother, but it's times like this where Hulu is a lifesaver!
10. Fall is here.  I cried a little inside when I had to turn my seat warmers on in my car and put an extra blanket on my bed.  I do not handle cold well.  Why, then, have I spent every winter of my life in cold, snowy places, some voluntarily so?  Between Connecticut, Utah and Colorado, all I've learned is that I just know how to drive in the snow, not how to live pleasantly in it! 
11. I need a reason to cook again.  All I've made in the past two months is quesadillas (a.k.a. tortilla + cheese) and PB&J... no, really.  Once I went wild and made a grilled cheese sandwich.  It's sad, really.  I have absolutely no desire to cook for myself, but love to do it for others.  Volunteers?
12. I picked up guitar again a few weeks ago.  One of my friends gave me some mini-lessons and basically let me just mess around, ruining Taylor Swift and Death Cab for everyone in earshot.  Sorry, TayTay.  My birthday present to myself (which I never do, so it's a strange excuse) is a cheap, used guitar I found on Craigslist.  I'm not committed enough to spend hundreds of dollars but I want to be able to play when I'm in the mood, so it's perfect.  I just have to convince myself keeping my nails un-femininely short is doable. 
13. I'm going hiking in Estes with Jessica tomorrow.  Nothing will ever compare to the forests of New England, but the mountain views I saw last time I went with my mom were not half bad.  And the plan is to find a waterfall... I'm excited to get dirty and tired and covered in nature :) 
14. Lunch today was absolutely perfect.  I biked around a quiet neighborhood while eating my PB&J (skills!!) until I found a park, soaked in the sun, enjoyed the breeze, cross-stitched and pondered life to my heart's content.  It was as quiet as nature can be, with hardly any people walking by... just perfect.
15. I went to a farewell dinner for a coworker friend on Wednesday.  She was one of the first people I met at the bank, and I'm sad to see her go (albeit onto better things for her!).  We went to a little Mexican place in Loveland, and I had sopapillas for the first time.  Delicious.  Karis and I bonded over dessert and the awkwardness that had ensued earlier that day when some other coworkers, who hadn't been invited, were upset they weren't asked to be part of the gift she and I had gotten for Katy.  Oops.
16. I feel like Adele knows me.  Taylor too.  It's kind of unnerving. 
17. The month of October is going to be WILD.  As in, I think I might die.  First weekend, General Conference road trip.  Second weekend (including Thursday and Friday), RACHEL'S WEDDING! in Californ-i-a.  LA and San Diego?  Yes please.  Third weekend, YSA conference.  Fourth weekend, another road trip to Utah for ASHLEY'S WEDDING.  Fifth weekend, some Halloween festivities, guaranteed.  In between the weekends?  Work.  Holy cow, it's going to be nuts.
18. Goober gets feistier by the day.  He's started tipping over his house nearly every night, and then gets frustrated because he can't get inside it.  Poor helpless little guy.
19. I learned all about rugby last weekend.  One of my friends is a little (a LOT) obsessed with it, and since the rugby world cup only happens every four years (who knew?!) he invited a group over to watch.  As I sat there clueless, he patiently explained terms, positions, and rules.  Go All Blacks!
20. Once I find out about the PB job, I've committed myself to enrolling in an online accounting class through BYU.  If I'm ever going to decide whether pursuing an MBA is the way to go, it might as well be now, while I try to figure out where I'm going to end up in the next year.
21. My roommate's family (mom, sister, and dog) is coming into town tonight/tomorrow.  They'll be staying at the apartment.  It's going to be interesting climbing over everyone on my way out every morning!
22. The ten-year anniversary of September 11th was a few weeks ago.  It was disappointing to see how little it mattered to most people.  I realize that the majority of the country wasn't as directly involved in the event as my family and hometown, but church went on without mention of it for the majority of the meetings.  It's important to move on, but it's just as important to remember.
23. I want to say something grand for my last point, like how far I've come in the last year.  In some ways, I feel like an entirely different person.  Geographically, yes.  Spiritually, yes.  Fitness-ly, yes.  In other ways, not as much.  But I'm getting there.  Here's to another year of uncertainty, decisions, change, learning, and growth :)